Six Tips to Nail Your Interview

You have an appointment for your first interview. Now what? This is one of our most frequently asked questions among our readers. Clients who participate in our job search strategy groups understand exactly what to do in their interviews. Preparing to do well for your interviews starts long before you ever land the first one. You can sign up for our free e-newsletter with helpful tips and information about resumes, job search strategies, interviewing techniques, and salary negotiations on our web site.

Here are six guidelines:

Your "pitch" (the way you position yourself) must be air tight and is the key to your search. Your two-minute pitch is the verbal presentation of your resume. It includes a summary of what you have to offer that is aligned with the needs of the organization.

Prepare for the interview by doing your homework and prepare intelligent questions.

Approach the process as if you were a consultant. Do not assume a passive role in the interview. You should be looking for ways to uncover challenges that you can solve.

Know how to handle difficult interview questions.

Think through possible objections and know how to effectively handle them.

Prepare a thoughtful follow up. Thank you notes do not help move you along the process. Write a thank you note for a networking meeting, but not a job interview. Following a job interview, you should write a well-informed follow up letter to address any objections that might have been raised, and drive home with evidence the reasons you are the best candidate.

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Jennifer Vogel is managing partner of Envision Evolution Group, a career management practice in Atlanta. Jennifer is a certified professional resume writer and career coach. She has a master's in Human Resources Management and a Bachelor of Science in psychology with 20+ years of experience in résumé writing. Her professional certifications include: CPRW - certified professional resume writer, PHR - professional in human resources, and PMP - project management professional. You may contact Jennifer at this address or visit EnvisionEvolution.org.